The first images have been revealedof a planned high school in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills which will cater for 1,200 students and house 47 classrooms, three laboratories, a dance studio and a gymnasium.

The move "points to the future" Mr Stokes says, and certainly marks a continued evolution of the way in which Australians are educated.

Last year plans to rebuild Parramatta's Arthur Phillip High School in a 17-storey tower were announced, and two years ago St George's Anglican Grammar School opened the doors of its new high-rise campus in Perth's CBD.

Innovation required to retain sense of community

Across the world and in locations where space is at a premium, the high-rise school is becoming a recognisable sight.

Singapore, Hong Kong and New York all have bespoke facilities piling floor after floor of educational facilities into special buildings with acoustic conditioning, natural ventilation systems and extension opportunities as standard.

The firm Architectus is the current holder of the Australian Institute of Architects award for educational buildings.

In her resignation from politics, Kelly O'Dwyer said she feared another miscarriage in Canberra, far from home. Her announcement is shocking for more than just party-political reasons, writes Emma A. Jane.